Subal ND30 for Nikon d300 Just Arrived

Well, I'm totally sleep deprived -- trying to figure out all this technology and how the ND30 arrived several hours ago. Eek!! I just want to get wet, but I know all this will pay off big dividends later this year.

As said I'm somewhat exhausted so I'm going to post a link to more pics and my thoughts on the ND30. As always thanks Ryan from ReefPhoto and Video for servicing me so well!

Link to my thoughts on new ND30/upgrade

New ND30 Is Already Settling In Quite Well

Best, Carol

Hey Carol

Congratulations. I've had mine about 2 months and have done 2 dive trip with it and around 1200 pics. I love it! I went for the 45 degree viewfinder which I really like too.

One question, although I realise its early days for you: are you able to get the control on the housing for the focus switch selector on the rear of the camera lined up and functioning properly? I've had mixed success with this. I close up the housing believing the switch to be properly aligned but have problems getting the switch to move. Its caught me out a couple of times.

Tim,

I'll let you know when I put the camera in! Haven't even done that yet - need to get a metric allen wrench first to attach the handles.

One good thing is that this housing was just shipped from Subal so if there was a problem with earlier housings lining up there should not be a problem with this one as they are usually fast with fixing problems at Subal - but if there is I'll let you (and a lot of others) know......

Best, Carol

Congrats on the new arrival Carol.

It is a nice housing. One of the guys on my recent Red Sea trip had one and it was loverly!

Do you have the wider ports (Type 4) or the same ports as your D200?

I like the crocodile shaped strobe.

Alex

Congrats on the new arrival Carol.

 

It is a nice housing. One of the guys on my recent Red Sea trip had one and it was loverly!

 

Do you have the wider ports (Type 4) or the same ports as your D200?

 

I like the crocodile shaped strobe.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex, its like a new arrival you know....

I have the type 3 (same as d200) ports. I didn't go for the wider ones as I couldn't afford to buy new ports as I was stretched with the housing as it is. Plus I don't see myself using the 14-24 or whatever, I like the Tokina 10-17 so for me I'd like to put my $$$ into other things (like some new lenses or really wide strobes like you have someday - that is if they aren't too heavy as that is my main problem - the weight is hard for me to manage topside and underwater).

Yes, the gator (why does everyone call it a croc? - maybe I have to look closer at it??) - anyway I like it to. It was like the first thing I bought when I moved to Florida, was quite "poor" and I gazed at it in a window in a little gift shop in downtown Clearwater till it went on 1/2 price sale and I was at least as happy with my gator then as I am now with my $$$ new housing! B) Funny how things progress......

Alex is there a good reason to upgrade to the Type 4 ports? For the full-frame onslaught to come or ?

Thanks, Carol

Alex is there a good reason to upgrade to the Type 4 ports? For the full-frame onslaught to come or ?

Tough one. I think that it was the right thing for Subal to do. Lenses are getting fatter and fatter. The 105mm VR and 17-55mm were a very tight squeese in their old ports and the 14-24mm does not fit. So it makes sense for them to go to a larger port now. And to offer housings with the old size port. Plus from a business point of view Subal are going to makes some extra $$$ with people upgrading their kit.

Whether an individual should change depends on them, the lenses they use and their budget. Starting from scratch it would make sense to go with the wider ports.

I am not sure what I will do. As you know I have a home-made port section that greatly increases the bore of the old ports without the need to (the subal plastic ports are quite thick). But this section has also leaked a couple of times! And to some extent it will depend on what camera I buy next etc. Maybe I'll be getting a Canon 5D Mk2! If it is Nikon I am unconvinced about the 14-24mm. Berkley's report that it is best at F16 behind a dome hardly fills me with confidence it is going to be a really useful lens underwater.

But then lenses are not going to be getting any thinner. Maybe the next must have optic will be fatter still?

Alex

Maybe I'll be getting a Canon 5D Mk2! If it is Nikon I am unconvinced about the 14-24mm.

Alex

He, he...you dropped one there Alex. The new rumour, Alex is getting a 5DMkII...heaven forbid I bought a D700.

I'd like to see some D3 pics with the 17-35, the FX version of the 12-24. Now someone just needs to make a 15-25 Fisheye.

Congrats Carol, I can't wait to see your stuff with the new toy. I think it is highly likely that I will land up with a D300 Subal as well, but I'm waiting till this next crop of cameras declares itself say by the end of the year. Maybe I'll just stick with the D200, I'm doing fine with it. Who am I kidding.

Hi Carol,

any news about the new setup ? Is there a significant AF improvement over D200 in low light and with 105VR ? And what about sunbursts ?

Thanks

Giamba,

I think some others on this forum have posted info about your questions - shooters a lot more experienced than me for sure. Search WP and check it out.

For me, a bunch of things came up and I haven't been in the water with the 105vr or to do sunballs. There is a lot of data on sunballs, again in other posts on this forum and in a review by Berkeley White on the Backscatter site.

From what I have gathered I would have not upgraded just for the autofocus on the d300. Yes I think it is a little better but since for the d300 they nixed one of the best AF modes that is on the d200 (the grouped one) - I think any improvements in the AF of the d300 will be a wash for u/w photography. So I wouldn't have upgraded for that but when I do get to use the 105vr again u/w I'll let you know what I think of it.

What I did upgrade for is the much improved sensor and the better noise handling. Just those two things alone will make a big difference in the type of manatee photography I do during the winter months - but we will have to wait till then for my consensus. But since I took literally thousands of photographs of manatee u/w with the d200 when I get in the water and shoot them again with the d300 I will really be able to tell right away if it was worth it or not...... Still we have to wait a few months till I find out.

Later, Carol

One question, although I realise its early days for you: are you able to get the control on the housing for the focus switch selector on the rear of the camera lined up and functioning properly? I've had mixed success with this. I close up the housing believing the switch to be properly aligned but have problems getting the switch to move. Its caught me out a couple of times.

So far that AF mode switch on the ND30 had been fine for me but I do see what you mean!!!! The motion of turning the switch to the left off the first mode is pretty rough for Subal, my ND20/d200 AF mode switch was a lot better.

All in all my ND20 seems to have fit my d200 better than the d300 fits in the ND30, it is hard to get the camera far enough forward in the ND30 and I've had some issues with some of the controls as you have noticed. All in all I'd say my d200 in my Subal ND20 was perfect - or as close to it as one can get; and the fit of the d300 in the ND30 does seem to be a bit flawed which is unusual for Subal I gather. Wether or not it affects my u/w photography has yet to be seen as I haven't been able to test it a lot yet.

I'm sure if the fitting of the d300 in the ND30 is off Subal will fix it but of course not many of us have the time to send it to Europe or even places in the states for that matter.

But for now I'm pretty optimistic and I think my d300 fits well enough in the ND30; just not as good as my d200 fit in my ND20.

Best, Carol

So just got a very quick response to an email I sent, from Ryan at ReefPhoto (what a guy!.... ) - anyway here is the scoop as I understand it (granted I don't understand everything so allow for that please):

The d300 in the ND30 fits different than the d200 in the ND20. The way Ryan put it:

"I knew they were planning to tighten the tolerance on how the camera is captured at the top of the housing, and the camera tray locking mechanism , and did notice that this was a little stiffer. IE, on ND20 you dropped it in and locked it, where on ND30 you drop it in, push on the tray, then you can lock it."

then he added:

"If any adjustment is in order I'll let you know, and get that taken care of".

But note I don't know if there is any adjustment needed quite yet because I haven't used it much? Unfortunately I can't dive it a lot for a few more weeks.

I think it will be fine, I just miss the wonderful way my d200 fit in my ND20 -- the ND30/d300 is just different, a little tougher to insert in the housing and could possibly need adjustment?

Again - disclaimer - this is just my experience and there are much more experienced people out there to seek advice from if you want help with or want to purchase an ND30 or used ND20 for that matter. Please contact someone like Ryan Canon or someone else on this forum who has used the ND30 a lot for expert info and advice.

Best and more to come, Carol

Well, I'm totally sleep deprived -- trying to figure out all this technology and how the ND30 arrived several hours ago. Eek!! I just want to get wet, but I know all this will pay off big dividends later this year.

 

As said I'm somewhat exhausted so I'm going to post a link to more pics and my thoughts on the ND30. As always thanks Ryan from

 

New ND30 Is Already Settling In Quite Well

 

Best, Carol

Carol, VERY cool and congrats on the new rig. Looking forward to seeing the Manatees

If it is Nikon I am unconvinced about the 14-24mm. Berkley's report that it is best at F16 behind a dome hardly fills me with confidence it is going to be a really useful lens underwater.

Alex

Where is this report? I failed to find here, at backscat, and google.

T

Hi Carol

Yeah, you and Ryan are right: it is the usual excellent Subal production, but there is a subtle difference between installing the D200 into the ND20 and the D300 into the ND30. The D200 slid in so easily that I always made sure the housing was almost horizontal otherwise the camera on its mounting plate would rocket down the rails! But the D300 certainly has to be pushed into place - and initially I wondered if I had missed something and it was jamming slightly.

Subal are on holiday until mid-August but I may well drop them an email about the back plate focus selector issue. Its hardly a show stopper but, as it is, I am very nervous about switching AF setting in case the switch hasn't engaged firmly and I can't get back to it again.

I'll keep you and the guys posted........